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Seattle pushed the curtain out of the way and stepped into the cave, stretching as she did so. She was still in mid-stretch when her gaze fell on the far wall. The last fragments of sleep were swept from her body as she realized something was wrong; something was terribly wrong. Where was the chain?
She quickly ducked back into her room, returning a couple of seconds later, a large metal kettle in one hand, a stout stick in the other. She banged the pot with the stick sending an alarm throughout the cave and down through the passageways.
"Everyone, up! Quickly, we must move the lair at once," she shouted. "Everyone, hop to."
All around her, kids groaned as they sat up to see what all the commotion was about. Within seconds after the sounding of the gong, kids ran around, rolling up their makeshift beds. In less than a minute, everyone was busy focusing on what was clearly a well-rehearsed drill, except this time it was real, not pretend.
In less than ten minutes, every shred of clothing, every piece of fabric, all signs of habitation had been swept away into knapsacks and carts, and the kids were filing out through one of the exits. Seattle was the last to leave.
As she approached the exit, she turned and looked back at the bare walls and ceiling of the cavern. It had been a good home, she thought with a sigh. So stupid on her part to trust someone from the surface. Doing so had cost them their safest home of the past two years. She shook her head. "Please let that be all my mistake costs us," she whispered as she turned to join the rest of the family.
––––––––
JASON WAS LESS THAN a hundred yards from the cave when Mu-Monk jumped off his shoulder and scurried down the passageway, disappearing around the nearest bend.
"Come back, you little scamp," Jason called to him in a hoarse whisper, rushing to try to catch up. "I don't have time to play hide-and-seek with you."
He needn't have worried. Mu-Monk had stopped a few yards on the other side of the bend, where he waited for his companion to catch up. As Jason approached, the monkey scurried off again, staying just out of reach but always stopping as soon as he was outside of Jason's sight. The game continued for a couple of hours until, as Jason climbed the umpteenth set of stairs, he noticed a change in the lighting. At the top of the stairs, Jason paused and looked around. They were finally back in the Commons. He felt like falling to his knees to kiss the ground until he looked down by his feet and realized how filthy the ground was. He'd wait for that ritual until he reached his apartment.
Mu-Monk scampered over to him, leapt into his arms, and then up to his shoulder, where he sat while Jason scratched behind his ears. "I think I'll make it a point to keep you around," Jason said as he dropped the tent filled with the chain onto the ground so he could hug the monkey with both arms. "You've become an excellent guide."
After a few minutes of rest, Jason picked up the tent and chain and resumed their journey. His first order of business upon returning to civilization: Get rid of the damn chain. For that he headed to the Shades, a district conveniently located next to the Gambling Zone that also bordered the Commons. It had earned its name over the years as the location where the shadiest business transactions took place as well as being under the least amount of Patriarchal control or surveillance.
As they passed the Down & Under Bar, Jason thought about dropping in for a couple quick drinks, then decided it would be too hard to explain the new jewelry around his arm, not to mention that he was growing more tired by the minute. No, the D&U would have to wait for another day. Instead, he headed toward Salvie's, a couple blocks from the bar. Owned by Salvinia Muscotta, Salvie's was one-stop shopping for just about anything and everything one wanted that was either illegal or banned by the Patriarchy. It was also the one place you could have a fifteen-foot chain removed from your wrist without the need of answering embarrassing questions. It took Sal less than five minutes to remove the chain, which Jason then left as partial payment. After once again turning down Sal's offer to buy Mu-Monk from him, the two continued their journey.
As they neared the Gambling Zone, they drew increasing attention from the ever-present throng of people. As Jason strolled by a mirror-fronted building, he realized why. His outfit was torn in a dozen places and stained with blood, mud, and other marks that Jason couldn't identify. His face was smudged with the grime of the Pipes and his hair looked like it hadn't been washed in over a week—because it hadn't.
He shook his head. "I might fit in just fine in some regions of the Commons, but not here," he told Mu-Monk. “Let's head for Emerald Eyes' place. It's closer, and we're less likely to be stopped by one of the Patriarchy's goons."
Fifteen minutes later, Jason let himself into his friend's apartment with the passcard she'd given him along with the warning, "For dire emergencies only." Jason figured what he'd just been through more than qualified.
Entering the small but plush apartment, Jason headed straight for the auto wash, peeling off his filthy clothes as he walked. By the time he reached the autowash, he was naked. As he stepped into the small compartment, the sprayers started. He let out a soft moan. "When I leave this earth, please bury me in an autowash, and I'll depart without complaining," he said as he leaned against the far wall and let the sonic waves and jets of water wash over him.
After close to an hour, Jason finally pulled himself out of the autowash. He looked around for any men's clothes he could borrow. It wasn't all that unusual, given his friend's trade, for her to have a spare pair of shorts or a shirt or two, but his search turned up nothing but a long, lacy robe.
Jason shrugged. "Great, pink. My favorite color." He put it on, collapsing on the bed. He was asleep within seconds.